Question

India has eight coastal state, but more than half of the sea salt is made along the Gujarat coast because __________________.
A. Gandhi Ji started the salt movement in Gujarat
B. Low rainfall and relative humidity are ideal for the production of salt through evaporation of seawater
C. Kandla port exports salt
D. The salinity of saltwater is very high near the Gujarat coast

Answer 1

Hint: Although the supply of saltwater is inexhaustible, extraction of salt from seawater depends on the weather and soil type of the coastal area. A state with a large coastline and relatively dry climate can easily produce large amounts of salt.

Complete step-by-step solution:
At the time of independence, India had to import salt from abroad. Today India stands at the third position in salt production just after China and the USA. India went from a net importer to a salt exporting country. In India salt is extracted from Sea brine, Lake brine, Subsoil brine, and Rock Salt deposits. Salt from sea brine can only be extracted in coastal areas but that largely depends on the climatic condition of that place. A relatively dry climate is required for faster evaporation. Along with a large coastline and dry climate, Gujarat has inland saltwater lakes. In the past, the Gulf of Khambhat has produced around a quarter of the state's whole production. At present, Bhavnagar has emerged as a leading producer of salt in the state. A large amount of salt is also produced in Rann of Kutch using subsoil brine. Rann of Kutch has also gained the name of Salt Desert. Inland salt works are mainly done in Rajasthan. Most famous among these is Sambhar Lake.

Thus, option (B) is correct.

Note: Gujarat has the longest coastline among all coastal states in India. Also, Rock salt deposits are present in Mandi in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Low precipitation and relative humidity are the main reasons; Gujarat produces more than half of the salt produced in the country.